


Politeness and Prejudice

by darthearts



Series: Light [3]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 17:28:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8294026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthearts/pseuds/darthearts
Summary: Nayeon is jealous of Mina, the girl who excels in everything despite only training for a year.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was probably high when I wrote this, because the mood swings too much from mellow to comedic. I also love Minayeon. Inspired by how Nayeon was kind of a bitch to Mina at the start of Sixteen lol.

Nayeon hears that the trainee who is transferring to her group has only trained for a little over a year. The news makes her seethe silently because Nayeon belongs to the A-list trainees group, which means her group is made of the best trainees in JYP. Their training years usually range from five to ten. Long years of hard work have steeled them, solidified their voice control, and sharpened their dance moves to make sure they are ready for debut. Nayeon only has five years of training as a lead vocal – the least of the group and said to be one of the best. That is why she feels her blood boil when they receive the news that some trainee – who has what, a year’s training? – is transferring over.

The leader of their group, Jihyo, is an excited mother hen who cannot wait to baby her children. Jihyo has a sturdy ten years of training under her belt and is designated to be a main vocal. She has seen people come and go, telling stories to Nayeon about broken dreams and lost hopes with a jaded look in her eyes – it made Nayeon hope she herself would be the one to stay. Even so, despite the leader’s bitter experiences, she seems to be the most enthusiastic about the upcoming arrival of the new trainee.

Nayeon cannot find the same enthusiasm in herself, because said trainee transferring has less than a year’s experience and is about to undermine her five years worth of effort. (Said trainee has managed to accomplish the same things as Nayeon in less than a year.) Just the mere thought of this new trainee makes her head spin with anger, hands balled into fists and teeth gritted together. Nayeon thanks god the trainee is only coming next week because if the trainee shows up today, Nayeon cannot guarantee the new trainee’s safety.

She can hardly concentrate on today’s dance routine, making mistakes twice and messing up the choreography. Their dance trainer forgives her (but with a frown) because Nayeon usually pulls off any choreography well enough with errors (and the look on Nayeon’s face says today isn’t her day). When their trainer leaves, Nayeon collapses on the floor, black haired splayed on the hard wood and chest heaving for oxygen.

“Tired?” Jihyo asks, placing a bottle of water in her hands gently.

Her heart soon slows down to a normal pace. Nayeon sits up, uncapping the bottle and gulping down the water. The leader settles beside her, wiping off sweat with a towel.

“Exhausted. I’m kind of out of it today. I hate this,” the girl complains, eyebrows furrowing in distress.

Jihyo doesn’t talk, instead looking at the floorboards with a kind of intensity in her eyes. It takes a while but when she finally raises her head, her eyes are wide and clouded with concern.

“Is this about the new trainee transferring over next week?”

Hitting the nail on Nayeon’s head, the words rub her the wrong way, earning Jihyo a scowl. The latter merely chuckles at Nayeon’s expression, before lying down on the floor and patting the space beside her. Nayeon waits for the other members of the group to filter out of the room before lying down next to Jihyo. The ceiling lights blind her for a while and she closes her eyes, listening to Jihyo’s soft breathing.

“Are you jealous?” Jihyo asks cautiously, like she might set off a bomb – Nayeon, that is – if she’s not careful enough.

The black-haired girl groans, somewhat hating how accurate Jihyo always is. Jihyo seems to know her inside out and while it is comforting to have someone understand her well, it frightens her as well sometimes. Jihyo is the perfect person Nayeon wants to be – understanding, capable and responsible. (Nayeon wonders if it’s the difference of five years of training or something else altogether.) It makes her feel inferior because Jihyo is younger than her, but better than her in almost everything else. Nayeon guesses this is why Jihyo was given the role of the leader instead.

“Stop reading me like an open book,” Nayeon grunts, turning to mock-glare at Jihyo. “I know I’m predictable.”

The girl beside her scoffs as if Nayeon has said something ridiculous and unbelievable, rolling her eyes and looking at Nayeon.

 “I’m not reading you,” Jihyo denies. “I just feel the same way.”

The words make Nayeon sit up quickly, nearly getting dizzy from the speed. Her jaw drops open and her eyes widen almost comically, it makes Jihyo laugh.

“Wait, you’re jealous too? But you were so excited just now!”

The chortle soon settles into a quiet laugh. The main vocal-to-be smiles, her eyes bright and clear now as she shrugs nonchalantly. Jihyo suddenly looks different, not so leader-like anymore, almost like a different person. She looks like she doesn’t have all the answers in the world and it’s okay to not know everything. It makes Nayeon feel a bit better because now Jihyo looks like she doesn’t have it all together, seemingly more like a dongsaeng rather than someone who guides Nayeon.

“I’m human too, you know. I think, any human being would get jealous if they took ten years to get to where they are, but someone else only took a year,” Jihyo laughs softly.

Then her tone changes to something more mellow, amusement completely wiped away from her voice.

“But I’m the leader of this group and I have to protect this person.”

Nayeon notices the mirth in her eyes all drained out. But even so, the brightness in her eyes stays like a fire that can never get blown out by strong winds. It makes Nayeon feel ashamed of herself for letting the green-eyed monster take control of her, hanging her head in regret.

“This trainee is going to be one of us now. We should help her stay. After all, too many people have left,” their leader says, her voice laced with a tiredness that comes with seeing too many things.

Nayeon realizes that this is probably why Jihyo smiles too often, offering care and concern without expecting anything in return. This is probably also the reason why Jihyo always puts on a strong front, never shrugging the responsibility off her shoulders, and looking every bit the reliable leader.

Guilt stabs her in the chest upon realizing that she has never done anything to ease Jihyo’s burden. Even so, when Nayeon looks at Jihyo, Jihyo’s smile never wavers, always tender and comforting, like a shelter against the rain. She memorizes Jihyo’s smile and keeps it in her heart as a reminder that she, too, needs to be a shelter for Jihyo and the rest. She leans back down, promising herself that she will do better.

If Jihyo is trying her best, she should too.

///

Forget about trying her best, Nayeon is already in flames.

With a hanging jaw and a dazed look in her eyes, she cannot help but stare at the new trainee who looks like the living definition of elegance. She saunters into the practice room with a kind of ease and grace that makes Nayeon wonder if she’s a dancer. All eyes are on her as she bows a perfect ninety degrees, movement so polished and refined that Nayeon feels like someone of lower stature than her despite the bow. The girl has straight dark brown hair that ends in waves at the small of her back, locks of dark brown looking too smooth. Nayeon is suddenly self-conscious about her own black hair that is probably dry and has a few split ends. The girl is slim with curves at the right places and Nayeon is reminded of her own stick thin figure.

Plump _~~very~~_ ~~kissable~~ pink lips part as the girl introduces herself in smooth Korean, “Hello. It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Mina.”

Nobody replies and Nayeon can see the same dazed and star-struck look in their eyes. It only further fuels the fire in her as she clears her throat out of irritation. Jihyo snaps out of it quickly, wearing a welcoming smile as she introduces herself to Mina. The rest of the members follow suit and it slowly reaches Nayeon, who is the last one.

Mina looks at her with eyes that are too dazzling, like someone sprinkled stardust in her eyes. She looks too sincere, innocence and naiveté reflected in those brown orbs, so unaware and ignorant of everything around her. Too eager to please, the girl looks like a bootlicker and Nayeon hates those types of girls – those who use their looks to their advantage, pretending to be all nice and kind when they aren’t.

Nayeon mocks the new trainee loudly, “I’m Nayeon, the oldest here and it’s _not_ nice to meet you at all.”

In her peripheral vision, she notices Jihyo’s eyes widen as she gasps in shock at the unkind words from Nayeon’s foul mouth. She thinks Jungyeon might have rolled her eyes, knowing her too well to be surprised.

The best thing is seeing Mina recoil in disbelief before the hurt shadows the light in her eyes, almost snuffing it out entirely.

Now that the girl doesn’t look too enthusiastic anymore, Nayeon immediately feels better, like she finally gets to breathe after being submerged in water for a long time. Mina averts her eyes, looking at the ground, long hair hanging in front of her. She looks like a ghost, with her squared-in shoulders and stiff back. The silence doesn’t help lift the ominous atmosphere as everyone is too shocked to do anything. Not even Jihyo says anything, not when she is at a total loss for words, her mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish.

Nayeon just stands firm, folding her arms and waiting to see if Mina would reveal her true colours. She bets her squirtle plushie that Mina is going to change tactics now that she knows that Nayeon isn’t the least fooled by her innocent act.

She is about to scoff again when Mina lifts her head, eyes meeting Nayeon’s straight on.

She sees the unfaltering eyes, how the hurt in them has transmuted into some kind of strength or resolve that leaves Nayeon with a tensed jaw. There is hardly a sound when Mina moves closer to Nayeon, her footsteps as light as air. The close proximity renders Nayeon breathless, breathing terribly shallow. Mina makes her feel like she might be in danger if she even breathed too loudly.

Mina smiles, pouty lips curling and beautiful eyes narrowing. Even as her eyes turn into somewhat narrow slits, her gaze is intense and it burns through Nayeon like ice.

“In that case, I will do all I can to impress you, Nayeon-ssi,” Mina says, voice quiet but strength loud.

Mina’s quiet resilience threatens Nayeon and makes her hands tremble. Nayeon feels the urge to run away but she fears that her knees might buckle if she takes even one step. She thinks she might faint and that’d be the best case scenario for Nayeon because then she’d be able to get Mina in trouble for this.

Faking bravado, Nayeon tries (but stutters anyway), “S—Save the effort for someone else. It’s obvious that we both dislike each other.”

It seems like Mina is a wall because the words bounce right off her and she retorts quickly. “I don’t dislike you.”

Then Mina leans in even more and Nayeon really wants to faint. She’s so close, Nayeon manages to catch a whiff of probably very expensive perfume that smells sweet and exudes femininity. Mina’s smooth dark-brown hair that can appear in a shampoo commercial is brushing against her cheeks lightly, painting the skin a baby pink. Warm breath caresses her ear and jaw, sending goose bumps down her spine, her eyes squeezing shut.

_Devil_ , Nayeon thinks.

“You’re too pretty to be disliked, Nayeon-ssi,” Mina whispers, breath fanning against her skin.

Nayeon feels her throat go dry as Mina pulls away. It takes her several blinks and gulps for her to recover. By the time she actually realizes what just happened, she has bolted out of the practice room, slamming the door shut loudly.

She presses her back against the door, leaning on it for support because her legs might give out. Her hand flies up to her chest and she can feel her heart ramming itself against her ribcage almost painfully, her chest tight and wound up. The damned organ doesn’t slow down even though she’s trying her best to take slow, deep breaths.

Her mind is a broken recorder on loop because it keeps replaying Mina over and over again – Mina’s eyes, Mina’s smile, Mina’s scent, Mina’s words.

Excluding Mina, the only things floating in her head are curses. She scoffs at the thought of Mina being a devil.

_More like a fucking succubus._

///

She gets a scolding from Jihyo and two flicks on the forehead from Jungyeon after that. Nayeon remembers Jungyeon’s sarcastic remarks when she came clean about her feelings to her best friend.

(“You sound like Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice,” Jungyeon comments.

“What, am I supposed to fall in love with Miss Mina Darcy?” Nayeon asks wryly.

“But Mina’s a polite Darcy.”

“So?”

“That means you’re a douchebag,” Jungyeon states and Nayeon wants to cry.)

That is all the punishment she gets so she counts herself lucky. She is fully aware that she deserves the punishment; she knows that what she did was rude and because she considers herself a generally good person, she knows she should apologize to the girl who has not done anything wrong. But Nayeon is the queen of avoiding her problems, so she escapes whenever Mina gets close enough to talk to her or when they are left alone in the room.

Really, she should have known she cannot avoid Mina forever, because if Nayeon is the queen of avoidance, Mina is the queen of persistence.

Nayeon only realizes this when both Jihyo and Jungyeon abandon her after dance practice, pushing her into the room instead of out of it. She only realizes this when she sees Mina in the room, downing a bottle of water. That is when she cries for help.

“Jihyo! Jungyeon! You can’t do this to me! How can you desert your comrade during a war? This is betrayal!” she wails, fists pounding the door while the two of them make sure it stays shut.

At least Jihyo tries to convince and coax her, “Nayeon unnie, we should sort out our differences as soon as possible. We’re a team, remember?”

“We can do that together! Don’t leave me!”

Jungyeon doesn’t even try to sound nice, “Stop being a child! Mina wants to talk to you so sit your ass down and talk like an adult!”

Jungyeon’s words make Nayeon stop her clambering. She blinks in surprise, wondering why the words manage to slash at her heart painfully. Her arms drop to her side and she suddenly feels like crying, the tears coming to her eyes. Perhaps it is the accusation of her still being a child despite her being the oldest in the team, or the realization that she hasn’t grown up at all despite coming this far, but it pricks her heart. It’s not supposed to hurt, but it feels like the words have left a gaping hole in her.

She is reminded of how imperfect she is compared to Jihyo, that it seems like she is never good enough no matter how hard she trains. (And meanwhile, someone like Mina has got it all locked down, be it looks, talent or personality. All within a year.)

Mina clears her throat before talking, “Nayeon-ssi, it’s not their fault. I just wanted to talk to you.”

“And I don’t want to talk. I thought I made that clear enough,” Nayeon snaps.

The empty hole in her heart is making her more irritable and Mina, with her courteous and stubborn smile, is aggravating things.

“I’m sorry. I just thought we needed to talk things out. Did I do something wrong? Was it because I said you were too pretty to be disliked? Was that too rude of me?” Mina asked, looking quite distraught as she mentally went through a list of possible reasons why Nayeon would dislike her.

The memory of Mina being a flirty little thing has Nayeon flushing, palms getting all clammy like a teenager with a crush. She hates it.

Mina continues explaining anyway, hands flailing slightly in panic, “But I didn’t mean to fluster you. I wanted to tell you that, but I didn’t want the others to hear them.”

“Why?”

“Those were words only meant for you.”

“I don’t want to hear them.”

Nayeon already has her fists clenched and she is trying her best not to hit something and damage property. Seeing Mina, the sheer source of her imbalanced emotions, has her seething. She just doesn’t want Mina in her sight and she cannot comprehend why nobody can understand this.

“I dislike you. I thought I already told you that. I already made myself clear. I don’t want anything to do with you,” she says through gritted teeth, inwardly begging for Mina to get the message and leave without Nayeon dragging her out by the hair.

“Why don’t you want anything to do with me? We’re in the same team. We should be working together and trying to resolve things.”

The smile has been completely wiped off from Mina’s face and Nayeon doesn’t know why that seems to fan the flames of her anger even more.

“Who are you to tell me that? Who are you to lock me in this room with you? Who are you to force me to talk?” Nayeon knows her voice is getting louder and shakier, but the words are tumbling out of her mouth and she cannot stop herself. “Who are you to mock me? Who are you to join this group after a year of training when I have trained so hard for five fucking years?”

Mina doesn’t even blink at Nayeon’s admission while Nayeon is gasping at her own words. All her hidden emotions have been revealed in the heat of the moment and Nayeon feels like she shouldn’t be standing in front of Mina – Mina is pure and generous like an angel while she is a mere fallible mortal. In the great chain of being, Nayeon doesn’t think she deserves to be in the presence of someone like Mina and she feels more like a devil than anything else.

And yet, Mina nevertheless stands before her, without wings or a halo, but still looking very much like an angel. Her eyes hold no judgment, clear brown orbs looking at Nayeon just as she is.

“I’m not any better than you, if that’s what you’ve been thinking all this while. I have much to learn from you and the rest of them so please don’t look at me this way.”

“How am I looking at you?” Nayeon whispers weakly.

“Like you despise me.”

 Nayeon’s eyes dart towards the mirror behind Mina and she inhales sharply at her own reflection. She sees herself in the mirror, eyes flashing with rage, masking the uncertainty and doubt hidden within her. She looks like she’s sneering at Mina, filled with scornful disdain and prejudice against the girl who has not done anything wrong. She cannot believe how terribly insecure she looks, blaming all her insecurities on someone innocent and overall likable.

Her eyes flicker back to Mina and she finally sees Mina for who she is – the polite new trainee who respects her seniors and treats everyone with genuine sincerity, the girl whose subtle beauty draws one in the more one looks, the girl with dreams bigger than herself. Mina, who has the softest and warmest of eyes, still looks at her with respectful adoration and Nayeon feels her own vision blur.

“I—I’m sorry,” she mumbles hurriedly.

Nayeon fumbles with the door handle and it takes her five seconds to realize that she needs to pull the door open rather than push it, mumbling curses under her breath as she does so.

She lets herself walk away, cheeks aflame with shame.

///

Nayeon is in the recording booth trying to practise her vocal technique when she comes to an epiphany.

She finds her resolve to dislike Mina weakening every day. It might just be inevitable because the latter is just too painfully polite and eager to please. She leaves bottles of water by Nayeon’s bag, along with healthy snacks like nuts that actually help her to lose weight instead. (Nayeon can’t even find a single thing to blame Mina for – it is thus safe to say that Mina drives Nayeon nuts.)

She has given much thought about her issues regarding Mina and she has come to a realization that _maybe_ she was treating Mina badly. (Okay, she _was_ treating Mina badly.) Knowing the girl doesn’t deserve it, she has at least tried to be civilized and respond nicely when Mina talks to her.

She also realizes that Mina is actually good at just about everything, be it singing or dancing. To top it off, the long hours of training does nothing to dim the signature polished smile she always wears. (Meanwhile, Nayeon is dying to go back to the dorm and sleep her life away.)

It also doesn’t help that Mina has switched from Nayeon-ssi to Nayeon unnie. The way Mina calls for her, so gentle and full of affection, makes Nayeon go all soft and mushy on the inside. Nayeon notices that Mina treats her differently from the rest. She is always gentle, all bows and polite smiles. But with Nayeon, she flashes smiles that are really grins that reveal her gums and it would look stupid on anyone except for Myoui Mina. It has Nayeon wondering if Mina is even aware of the potency of her own beauty.

It is not just the smiles that are different, because Nayeon won’t be in this state of confusion if it’s just the smiles. Mina also gets extra touchy whenever Nayeon is around her and Nayeon can’t tell if it’s a good or bad thing. Her touches set Nayeon aflame, her lingering touch burning her skin. When Mina holds her hand, it’s never rough, but it’s always firm.

And Nayeon doesn’t even know why she’s thinking so much about Mina’s touch. Or her smile. Or her, in general.

(Maybe she does know, but she refuses to admit it anyway.)

It is Mina’s random acts of kindness that actually move Nayeon, the ones so small that it may seem insignificant, but actually shake up Nayeon the most. Like how Mina reminds her that dinner is ready, or how Mina directs a smile towards her whenever she feels tired, or how Mina slots boxes of lozenges in her bag before vocal practice.

Mina, in general, shakes Nayeon up.

Her thoughts are everywhere and she cannot concentrate on recording. She feels her voice crack in the booth and she hurriedly apologizes to the vocal coach outside, bowing a few times as she does so. She hears her vocal coach sigh and she sees the coach rubbing her face exhaustedly.

“Take five, Nayeon. Go grab some water and do some lip rolls before coming back.”

She exits the booth and the studio, making her way to the water dispenser down the hallway. There is already phlegm gathering her throat but she needs to at least get this recording right. She fills a paper cup with water and gulps it down, wishing for the phlegm to disappear. Leaning against the wall, she exhales, hating her vocal performance today. She is in the midst of doing lip rolls when she hears a familiar voice call out to her.

“Unnie, are you okay?” Mina asks while walking towards her.

“Oh,” Nayeon scratches at the back of her neck awkwardly. “Yeah, I’m okay, I guess.”

Mina places a comforting hand on her elbow and rubs circles on her skin. Nayeon worries that she might drop the paper cup and create an even bigger mess than she already has with her off-point vocals today. Luckily, Mina drops the hand and digs into her jean pocket before fishing something out.

“I brought some lozenges for you. Don’t worry too much, unnie,” Mina cheers, passing the tablets to Nayeon while grinning, eyes forming crescents.

Nayeon can feel herself melting at the thoughtful action and she hates being a pile of goo. But this is Mina she is melting for and she feels her heart beat steadily in agreement.

“Why do you care for me so much? I’ve been nothing but horrible to you,” Nayeon blurts, the words out before she can bite her own tongue to stop them.

Mina’s grin softens into a smile, but the light in her eyes seems twice as bright as compared to before. It tells her too many things at once. Nayeon thinks she sees the answers in her eyes before she hears them tumbling from Mina’s mouth.

“Because I like you.”

The girl is gone before Nayeon even realizes it, leaving tablets in her hand and warmth in her heart.

(Nayeon later does exceptionally well in the recording booth and her vocal coach is shook.)

///

It is in the wee hours of the morning and Nayeon is staring at a photo of Mina on her phone when she realizes that she is in deep trouble. She quickly thumbs the home button and dials her best friend’s number in both desperation and worry. The line soon connects and there’s a yawn from the other end of the line accompanied by a sound that sounds like a zombie’s groan.

“Jungyeon. It’s important,” Nayeon whispers, not entirely sure why she’s whispering since she is in her own room alone.

Another zombified groan. “It better be. I’m just in the room next to yours. Why couldn’t you wait till morning or something?”

Nayeon feels her throat going dry and she doesn’t know why the words are so hard to say when she has been thinking about it for the longest time.

“I—I think I like Mina.”

There’s a pause, and then a shuffle. Nayeon just holds the phone tightly, pressing it against her ears nervously. Then there’s loud, boisterous laughter and Nayeon face-palms herself, feeling her patience wearing thin. What was she expecting from Jungyeon anyway?

“Looks like Elizabeth really fell for Darcy,” Jungyeon states before giggling away.

“Is that all you have to say? You’re a useless friend.”

“Just tell her, Nayeon,” Jungyeon barely says as her voice tapers off into obnoxious laughter.

///

When their group stops for a short break from dancing, Nayeon feels herself collapse on the floor with Jungyeon, limbs a tangled mess. Jungyeon is all sweaty and sticky and it’s disgusting but Nayeon can’t find the energy in herself to stand. Jungyeon passes her a bottle of water and she gulps the liquid down, body craving the rehydration. It takes a while but she finally manages to stand, wandering to a corner to throw the empty bottle away.

Mina brushes past her, but she doesn’t stop to say anything to Nayeon. Instead, she makes a beeline towards Jihyo and pushes a bottle of water into the latter’s hands. Nayeon watches the exchange between the leader and Mina, noticing how Mina’s bright eyes are only on Jihyo and how her hands are squeezing Jihyo’s shoulder reassuringly.

Nayeon feels her throat go dry suddenly and her eyebrows are scrunching up unconsciously. She swallows but it doesn’t do anything to chase away the parchedness of her throat.

There’s a very loud cracking sound and everyone is suddenly looking at her. She blinks in alarm at the out of the blue stares that everyone in the room is giving her.

“What?” she blurts out, eyes wide.

“You must be really thirsty to have crushed the bottle, unnie,” Jihyo says, finger pointing at Nayeon’s hand.

She lifts her hand, only to see a rather sadly trodden plastic bottle in her hand that looks nothing like a bottle now. Jungyeon is snickering loudly in the centre of the room and Nayeon can feel her eyebrows twitch in annoyance. Mina has a gentle eyebrow raised, staring at her with part curiousity, part surprise.

“More like thirsty for someone,” Jungyeon pipes up unnecessarily, garnering even more laughter.

Mina looks confused now, eyebrows cutely tugged down and pink lips pursed together. Nayeon can feel herself slowly dying. She wants to sink downwards and become one with the floor.

She feels a soulless chuckle bubble from the back of her throat before attempting to laugh the matter off, “Haha. Let’s just continue practising Gee.”

“Unnie, what are you talking about? We were practising Into The New World,” Jihyo’s voice raises slightly in alarm.

Jungyeon bursts out into full blown laughter and even Mina is giggling softly – all at the expense of herself. Nayeon just wants to burrow into the ground and stay there. Maybe forever.

///

It seems like God has everything planned out because Nayeon finds herself bumping into Mina in the dorm kitchen after much tossing and turning in bed. Mina looks rather dishevelled, unlike her usual elegant persona. Her hair is tied messily into a bun and she’s donned in wrinkled jammies with penguins printed on them – effortlessly adorable. Nayeon can’t quite wrap her head around how Mina seems to switch from classily seductive to innocently endearing, especially with the way Mina is nursing a glass of milk, plump upper lip stained white.

Nayeon clears her throat, successfully grabbing Mina’s attention. The girl swallows and places the glass gently on the counter.

“Oh, Nayeon unnie,” she calls softly, voice ridden with sleep, sounding terribly gentle and affectionate.

Nayeon feels her soul wither away and she allows the younger girl to pull her into a hug and nuzzle her face in the crook of her neck. She can feel Mina’s warm breath fanning against her shoulder and she feels goose bumps crawling on her skin. Mina pulls away soon enough and Nayeon doesn’t know whether or not to be relieved or disappointed at the rapidly disappearing warmth Mina provides.

“I can’t sleep,” she whines, pouting a little as she stares through Nayeon’s soul.

“Poor thing.” Nayeon pats the crown of her head, feeling the desire to protect this girl.

“You can’t sleep too?” she asks, eyes wide and innocent, almost child-like.

Nayeon hums her answer before gesturing towards Mina’s lips, “You have a milk moustache.”

Mina tilts her head and blinks like she doesn’t understand and Nayeon sighs inwardly at how Mina seems like she isn’t able to take care of herself. It’s almost like Mina’s wearing a sign around her neck that says “handle me with care please” and Nayeon feels the urge to hug the girl. Pulling a tissue out of the box, she cups Mina’s face gently with one hand and uses the other to wipe the leftover milk away from her lips.

She gets too absorbed with the task and when she is done, she looks up, only to find Mina staring at her with an intensity that Nayeon has never witnessed before. Her eyes are no longer sleepy, instead now dark with want and pupils blown. Nayeon has never seen this look on Mina before and she feels herself gulp at how Mina is looking intently at her. Mina’s lips are set into a straight line and her tongue darts out to wet her lips and why is Nayeon even staring at her lips?

“Nayeon unnie.”

“Y—Yeah,” she stumbles over a single syllable and she wants to hit herself because this stuttering thing in front of Mina is embarrassing.

“I like you and I want to kiss you,” Mina confesses, voice low and soft.

Nayeon squeaks, “Sorry?”

“I want to kiss you,” Mina repeats with determination.

Nayeon doesn’t understand how Mina is always so straightforward and clear with her words – even a bit blunt. The girl is always honest and never cautious, wearing her heart on her sleeve, baring the words for all to see.

Nayeon wants to read all about it.

As Mina closes the distance, Nayeon catches a whiff of sweet, feminine perfume and she remembers how it used to drive her crazy. (It still does.) Her eyes flutter shut and she clenches her fist tightly in nervousness, marvelling at how her heart seems to be running on adrenaline.

Mina presses her lips against hers and she can hear her heart hammering away. Their noses bump against each other and she can feel Mina tilting her head for easier access. It’s a bit clumsy and hesitant and Nayeon can tell Mina hasn’t kissed anyone before. So despite her nervousness, she takes the lead anyway, arms wrapping around Mina’s slim waist firmly and pulling her closer. Mina is a bit taller so Nayeon tip toes a little to make things easier.

It’s only when the air in her lungs run out that she separates, brushing her lips against Mina’s one last time for good measure. When Mina looks at her, her pupils are dilated and the dark brown of her irises are clear. The light is reflected in her orbs but Nayeon thinks there is a whole galaxy in Mina’s eyes.

“I like you too, in case that wasn’t clear enough,” Nayeon breathes, slightly out of breath.

Mina suddenly leans in and Nayeon misunderstands, closing her eyes and thinking that the girl wants to kiss her again. Her eyes snap open when she feels Mina bump noses with her affectionately, the girl grinning as she does so.

“Crystal clear, unnie.”


End file.
